Cane-stripping apparatus.



NI. M. MURCHISON. CANE smlepm APPARATUS. APPUCATIUN FILED MAR. Il 1916.

wn. CVJM@ QN Q NN w .5... QUE 1 2W 3 D* mn EUR H Mwkm aum@ lM. N3. MURGHISON. CANE STRIPPINGAAPPARATUS. APPLICATION mso M An, 1916.

' Patented Jan. 29, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Paiente 5am. 29, 19W.

M. M. MURCHESON.

CANE STRIPPING APPARATUS.

APPucATIoNmED MAR. 11. 1916.

MILLER M. MURCHI'SN, 0F NEW DEGATUR, ALABAMA.

CANE-STRIPPING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 11, 1916. Serial No. 83,597.

Aby suitable conveyers up between spaced walls which hold the cane in position tobe operated upon by reciprocable stripper blades which are disposed to work between the conveyers .and strip the leaves from the stalks and deliver the same to a fodder elevator at the front end of the apparatus while the stalksl are discharged to the side from the top of the apparatus.

lMy invention comprises novel details of construction and arrangement of parts which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings 'which form a part of this speciiication, and in which Figure 1 isa front perspective view of the stripping apparatus. i

Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking from the right of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view looking at the.

back wall in plan.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View of the fodder conv'eyer and driving connections from the lower to the upper driving shaft.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a pair of stripper blades and their operating mechanism shown in perspective. 1

Fig. 6 is a detail View of one of the stripper blades which delivers the fodder to the fodder conveyer.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail View of the adjustable slide carrying the cutter head andthe driving connections therefor.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the yoke carrying the cutter head and provided with the preferred arrangement of stalk guides which, for the sake of clear-ness, are.

omitted from Figs. 1 and 2. K

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

' '1^ s illustrated, the apparatus is made upon a 'fed frame 1 which is suitable for attach r :nt to the rear end of any standard type of corn harvesting machine (not shown), or

. if not so attached may bemade portable by mounting same on wheels.

Mounted upon the frame is a main drive shaft 2 having a sprocket 3 which is driven by a motor or from the harvesting-machine and which, by means of a beveled gear l and a meshing ear 5, serves to transmit motion to main drive shaft. 6 which extends lengthwise of the machine and is square except where it is mounted in suitable bearings 7 securedto the front wall 12 of the apparatus. Mounted on this shaft are a plurality of sprocket gears 8, 8 which drive endless carrier chains 9, 9 which pass'around sprockets 10, 10 journaled along the'outer edge of a horizontal receiving platform 11 for the unstripped corn stalks.` Theupper flight of chains pass from the outer 'edge of this platform across its top face toward front and back spaced walls 12 and 13, respectively,

which form an inclined shallow guide pas-1 sage through which the'sta'lks are fed upwardly and in which the stripping opera- Specication of Letters Patent. v Patelltd Jail. 29, @918. 'i i tion takes place. Along the outer yedge of I the platform is a 'guard 14 and at the far end of the platform, where the heads of'the stalks fall, l provide a cutting mechanism for topping or cutting ofi' the heads ofthe stalks which may b e. described as follows :-A rigidmetal bearing frame 15 is attached to the rear'wall 13 andprovidedy with two bearing arms 16, 16-w hich project beyond the edge of the wall and opposite a cut away space 17 in the platform 11. A

driving shaft 6 is also journaled in this frame 15 iand has a square portion between the arms 1G. A sliding cutting mechanism com prises a double yoke 19 transversely slotted to receive the shaft 6 and also a sleeve 18 which slides freely on the square shaft 6 and has a thrust bearing 18 lon the middle web of the yoke (see Fig. 7). rlhe rear .end of the yoke is grooved to slide on a guide 15 formed on the rear edge of the frame 15. In this double yoke is mounted the driving sprocket 8 for 'the carrier chain' 9 and a rotating cutter head 2O,v which parts are rotatably driven and yet adjustable with the mounted free to slide on avbearing rod 421 which traverses .a cut away portion '22 in" the platformff-ll. .The sprocket 8 ,has a square socket'fto receive and slide along on los y which is'made yoke like to receive a sprocket Wheel 8 having a slot and pinv driving connection to the sleeve 18 and therefore does not interfere withl the 'adjustments of the sleeve. The sleeve 18 and cutter 20 isdriven vlby a short endless chain running over sprocket 16, which is faston end of counterslaftf26, and around sprocket 8 which receivessleeve 18. Overhanging guide arms 23 are attached to the front wall 12-and adapted tov project over the frame 15 so as to yguide the stalks over the cutter and cause them to fall in proper position on the platform. The guides for holding the stalks in position to be operated on by the cutter head is shown in Fig. 8 and comprise a bottom guide and square Aedge cutter base 23a which gives the cutter a scissors like effect on the.cane stalks and which is inclined to- Ward and. extends to the top level of the platform 11. An upwardly curved guide I finger 23b extends forward beyond the sweep l of the stripping space.

of the cutter blades and forms' with cutter base 23a a contracted neck into which the carrier chains 9 and 9 force the stalk heads and which thus hold themduring the cutting operation. The stalks being flexible will'pull out ofthis neck when moved by the carrier chains for thestripping. operation.

The elevating mechanism takes Athe stalks, in hand after'they have been topped, in the followingmanner: After topping the stalks they lie opposite the bottom opening between the walls 12 and 13 in position to be picked up irst by a pair of carrier chainsl 24a and 25a which are driven by sprockets fast on the main shaft 6.- The lugs on the chains 24EL and,2 5l are disposed to engage and draw the stalks upwardly through the narrow stripping space betweenl walls 12 and 13 and vtheyfpass around idler sprockets 29a and 30 which are journaled on the wall 13 and so disposed that the chain 24"l will" carry the stalks to a 'half lift and the chain' 25,a Will carry the stalks almost to the top A short chain 36 driven 'by sprocket 36- on shafto 31 and passing over idler sprocket 36d, 4carries the stalks to. the top of the machine. The shaft 31a is journaledto the back wall13 at the top `of the stripping space and also carries a pair of sprockets 32 l and 33a, which, by means of drag chains 34a, 35i passing over idlers 36b and 37a, serve with chains 36a to lift the stalks to the top of the stripping space where they pass on throu h a chute 38f The sprockets 29, 30 and 3' *j* are dis have described might posed in a diagonal alinement crosswise of the left being driven from the bottom .of 7C A the apparatus by main shaft 6. lThe shaft 31a is driven by a sprocket'39'on the outer i end of main shaft 6, chain 40 and sprocket 41, fast on the outer extended end of shaftv A sleeve 42 is loose on shaft 31a be- 75 tween cog 43 and sprocket A41. A train of gears 44, 45 and 46, transmit motion-from cog 43 to shaft 31a journaledfto top -of front spaced wall 12, the intermediate gears being suitably journaled to the frontend of. 3c' the apparatus. The chain 40 also drives a sprocket 47 which turns with it a sprocket 48 disposed at the bottom of 'an inclined trough48a for the fodder leaves which are ejected thereinto by the stripping mechanism. The sprocket 48 drives a fodderconveyer chain 49 which travels upwardly'along the trough 48u and slides over a grooved idler cuil' 49u which turns. on the sleeve 42:I

4A sprocket drive at the topiof the trough 9o would becomel fouled by the fodder leaves.

Vhile the conveyin mechanism whichl be ample for the pui-A .v

poses vof 'feeding the stalks through the] stripping compartment, I nevertheless consider it advisable'to provide on the front wall 12 a set of conveyers which are shown -J' in Fig'l and numbered 24, 25, 34 and`85, the

chains 24 and 25 being driven by sprockets i.

from'the shaft 26, which is driven from 100 Amain shaft 6 by' meshing gears 27 and 28.

The chains 34 and 25 are driven by sprockets on the shaft 2l journaled at the top -of the wall 12. The .chains 24 and 24 work in close relationship andthe other similarly 105 numbered pairs of chains also work in close relationship, each cofacting pair of chains f being driven so that the flight of the stalk engaging lugs during their passage throt the strippmg compartment travel in t e A110,

same direction but will project inl opposite directions, thus serving to grip between them the stalks and hold them frmlyduring the stripping operation,

that the conveyor chains on both sides of 11p It will noted the c0mpartment are so disposed as not--to cross the diagonal line of the stripping blades.

The stripping mechanism is driven by means of a beveled gear`50- on shaft 6 which 120 by means of a gear 51 drives 'a vertical shaft 52 journaledon the outside of the rear wall 13 of the stripping compartment. Atits upper endthe shaft 52`is journaled on a., .i i

palr of spaced.lo'ngitudinal' bearing blocks 125 53, .between which, it isI provided with a' crank portion 54 which engages and reciprocates a pitrnan 55. This -pitman 55 engages the crank ends 'of a'serles ofjstripper "shaftsv which lare also journaled in the 13@ Lata@ bearings 53. and are of variable length so Athat the mechanism driven thereby 1s dis- Vposed s o as to occupy a diagonal relationl the strippers above the bearings 53, extend upwardly and those which drive the strippers below the bearings 53 extend downwardly, In describingthe strip er mechanism, reference is made to Fig. where it will be seen that .the bottom wall of the stripping compartment is provided vwith pairs of parallel narrow slots,57 and through which work the pairs of stripper blades 58 and 59. These blades, except the pair nearest the trough 48a, are similar and are journaled on crank pins 60 and 6l mounted in a crank ,frame 62 fast on a shaft 56., As shown, the crank .pins are disposed equi-distantly above and below the center line of the shaft 56 and opposite each stripper plate is a standard 63 made fastto the rear wall 13 and connected at its outer end by a link 64 f with the end-of the opposite stripper blade below its crank pin 60 or 61. From't-his a1"- rangement it' followsthat the standard 63A 'Y and pin 64limit the lower ends of the stripblades through a circular path of travel.

` The result is that the working ,or upper ends of the stripping blades are caused to rise up through the slots 57 at the left hand end thereof (Fig. 5) and to reach their maximum projection as they start forward and to travel bodily with a straight forward stroke until they approach at the right hand end of the slots, whereupon they take a quick receding stroke and withdraw downwardly through the slots and make their return stroke below the wall 13 or with their upper ends traveling in or below the slots. The last acting pair of bladeshave hooks in their forward edges so'as to engage and i pull the fodder downwardly and inwardly into troughASa.

As the topped stalks are passed upwardly through the stripping space they are maintained in substantially parallel position by their carrier chains and they will be acted upon successively by the pairs of stripper blades whieh are so arranged that they act, beginning at the lop end of the stalk, vand each working over its respective part of the stalk until the top or final pair of strippers work opposite the butt of the stalk and opposite the fodder spout 48". The carrier chains moving always upwardly carry with them the loose t'odder leaves as well as the stalks and thus the successive stripping blades not only sl rip but serve as'a feeding means to direct the fodder endwise of the apparatus until it is all concentrated in Vposition to be discharged. by the toplmost pair of strippers into the fodder troug A front end of the apparatus so as to provide for the discharge of the fodder into the trough 48a. `The stripped stalks fall over suitable opening 66 in back wall is left in front of this topmost pair of strippers at thef the top of the' back wall 13 and pass otl through the chute 38, being stripped and' controllable in any suitable manner.

bodiment of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, 1s

1. A cane stripping apparatus comprising a strippingV compartment, means to deliver the cut stalks in horizontal position to said compartment, means to move the stalks sidewise through said compartment, and a plu'l rality of diagonally arranged strippers adapted t0 successively engage and strip i Having thus described the preferred eml the stalks as they are passed through said compartment.

stripped stalks fall, a stripping compartment opening onto the platform, means'to advance the stalks sidewise across the plat- -form and up through said compartment, t

means to top the stalks, a plurality of strippers disposed crosswise of the stripping compartmentso as to act on the whole stalk, and means to operate said strippers to cause them to alternately move alongside of and then to clear the stalks so as to permit them to continue their passage through lthe stripping compartment.

3. In a cane stripping apparatus, a plurality of strippers comprising arms, aslotted wall over which the cane is fed and through the slots in which said strippers periodically project, means to move said vstrippers in a direction lengthwise of the cane, and means to feed the cane transversely to the motion of the strippers.

4. ln a cane stripping apparatus', a slotted Wall, means to feed the cane sidewise over said wall, a plurality of pairs of stripper blades mounted below said wall, and driving means for moving said blades through a path of travel which causes them to project .through the slots in said wall throughout one partof their travel and to sink below the upper portion of the wall throughout the other part of their travel, the. blades of each pair being disposed to come alteruately above the wall and act one at a time on the cane, substantially as described.

5. In a cane stripping apparatus, a stripping compartment, means to feed cane sidewise through said compartment, and a plurality of stripping mechanisms disposed to act successively on ldiHerent parts of the cane and jointly to strip the cane, each of said mechanisms comprising a pair of arms,

2./In a cane stripping apparatus, incombination, a platform into which the un-' links having a xed pivot and connected to the under ends of .said arms, cranks 180O apart and connected to an intermediate part of the under portion'sof the arms, there be-l ing slots in the stripping compartment through which the upper ends of said blades project during a portion of their travel, and means to drive the crank, substantially as described.

6. In a cane stripping apparatus, a bottom horizontal platform upon which' the cane falls after vbeing cut', an inclined stripping compartment leading upwardly from the platform,` and a plurality' of laterally movable strippers which act successively on the cane and are arranged to progressively feed the fodder stripped from the cane toward the front end of the machine.

7 In a cane stripping apparatus, a cane receiving platform disposed in the line of travel of the apparatus, a topping means for cutting ofi' the heads of the cane disposed at the rear end of the platform, means to advance the cane transversely across 'the platform and into engagement with said topping means, a stripping compartment.-

into which the cane is delivered horizontally, strippers acting onthe stalks to strip the, fodder therefrom, the strippers being arranged to act successively from the head to the.butt end of the cane as it is passed through saidl compartment, and means at the forward end of the compartment to receive and discharge the fodder'collected there by the progressive action of the strip- 8.i In a cane stripping apparatus, a stripping compartment, and means to pass the cane in substantially horizontal position therethrough, a-diagonal series of strippers working lengthwise of and successively on the cane as lit is advanced through said com` Lacasse partment, the said means to advance said cane through the compartment comprising a set of carrier chains operating from the diagonal series of strippers toward the top of the compartment, and another set of carrier chains working from the bottom of the compartment Vtoward said series of strippers, none of said carrier chains crossing the diagonal line of strippers.

9. In va cane stripping apparatus, a strip- (ping compartment inclined upwardly and laterally of the apparatus, spaced walls, carriers to advance the stalks in horizontal position sidewise through said compartment, a diagonal series of strippers to successively act on and strip the fodder from the stalks as they are passed through said compartment, said strippers and conveyers acting to convey the fodder to one end 'of the apparatus, and a trough to receive the fodder.

10. In a platform disposed from front to rear of the machine and adapted to receive the cut cane, a cane stripping apparatus, a stripping compartment rising at an incline from one side edge of the platform, spaced walls, carriers to advance the stalks'sidewise across said platform and 'upwardly through said compartment, a diagonal series of strippers to successfully act on and strip the fodder from the stalks as they are passed through said compartment, said strippers and conveyers acting to convey the fodder to the forward end of the apparatus, a trough to receive the fodder, and a conveyer chain moving in said trough and adapted to discharge the fodder therefrom, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

MILLER M. immornsou.v

Witness NOMIE WELSH. 

